The Morning After
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: Summary: A party in Storybrooke and Emma's waiting for the only person she wants there to show up. Will she? A SwanQueen oneshot. Mostly fluff.


_Summary: A party in Storybrooke and Emma's waiting for the only person she wants there to show up. Will she? A SwanQueen oneshot. Mostly fluff._

_I don't own Once or its characters. Apologies for any mistakes. Hope you enjoy :) _

Emma sits at the bar with a bored sigh as she sips her third whiskey. She doesn't normally drink a lot but right now she's nervous and waiting. It was her mother's idea to throw this party as a big celebration for defeating Elsa. Emma nodded but she can't pretend she was that interested. All she wanted was to check in on Regina and spend some time with her son.

For her this is not a celebration without Regina. Henry is happy in the corner chatting away with his friends and whilst there are loads of people here Emma is alone and bored. She hasn't spent too much time with Regina lately. First there was her bringing Marian back effectively imploding Regina's relationship with Robin. Emma can't pretend to have liked Robin. Mostly she was jealous of him because he got to be the one who held Regina's heart and dated her, he got to be the one to make her smile. Emma never meant to hurt Regina but she did.

Since then she's seen Regina during their battle against Elsa and with Henry but she's missed the brunette. It was only when she was apart from Regina that she realised how much she cared about the other woman. Emma doesn't know when exactly she fell in love with Regina but she knows that she did. It might have been in Neverland when she got to fight with Regina rather than against her, when she was the person who helped Regina and when Regina helped her be the leader she needed to be. Regina encourages her to be her best and Emma has missed someone who gets her to fight to be her full potential and support her.

Then there was Pan's new curse wherein Regina gave her a life Emma had wanted but never dared say so. Regina knew anyway. She and Regina have always understood each other. Regina gave her a happy ending full of wonderful memories. She gave Emma the opportunity to live a simple life and just be Henry's Mom. Emma will always cherish the memories Regina gave her.

The bottom line is that Emma misses Regina. She misses her smile. She misses her strength and confidence. She misses her wit. She misses her. From time to time she lets herself drift off and dream of the life she and Regina could have together. With other people when she envisioned the future it scared her. With Regina it doesn't.

Tonight she took a shot and invited Regina to this celebration. She just hopes Regina turns up.

When Regina turns up Emma can't help but smile. The mayor's hair is perfectly curled and sits on her shoulders with a small bounce. She's in a beautiful but simple black and grey dress which wraps around Regina to emphasise every curve. _Gorgeous_.

She watches as Regina walks over to Henry and greets him before leaving him to his friends. They've both come to realise that as he enters his teenage years he'd prefer to be out with his friends that hanging out with his Moms. After that Regina lingers awkwardly for a few moments before heading over to the bar.

"Thank you for inviting me," Regina says as she takes a seat next to Emma.

Emma smiles, "No problem. Do you want a drink?" she asks her heart fluttering lightly in her chest as Regina nods and shifts a little closer.

They clink glasses before taking a sip of their drinks. Silence settles over them for a few moments as they drink and simply enjoy each other's company. It's in the moments without words that Emma finds Regina incredible. In those moments Regina says so much more with her eyes and the way she moves. She takes this silent moment to observe Regina's grace and beauty as she works up her courage.

Emma finishes her drink and sets it down. When she lifts her head Regina is right there. She can feel the brunette's breath hitch as Emma's eyes flicker down to full lips noting the small scar there. It's Regina who makes the next move. She leans in waiting for Emma. The kiss is slow at first, a soft caress of lips until they grow bolder each deepening the kiss and enjoying the feel of something they've both wanted for so long.

It's worth the wait.

When they part Regina looks at her, "There's something I want to tell you."

Emma smiles before looking at their drink glasses. She fears this night will be fuelled by alcohol and that the morning after will be full of regret. It won't be for her but she fears that for Regina this will be only for a night. She hopes it isn't. The kiss has raised those hopes but even so Emma wants this, whatever this is between them to be more than just a night. "Save it for tomorrow morning and then I'll know it's true."

Regina nods with a smile before pulling her in for another kiss.

* * *

The next morning Emma wakes slowly. She keeps her eyes closed as she draws in memories from last night.

She remembers asking Snow to take Henry for the night and saying goodbye to their son.

She definitely remembers the many kisses shared on the way home as they walked in the crisp Maine night air down to Mifflin Street. Emma can still picture the way Regina's face lit up as she looked at the stars.

She doesn't think she could ever forget the passion that overtook them when they got into the mansion as quick explorative kisses turned into heated ones. Clothes were shed as they made their way upstairs.

Emma remembers caresses of heated skin and feeling like she was floating on air. She remembers wondering how lucky she was that this dream was coming true. Moans filled the air alongside breathy whispers providing a blissful cacophony of sound that Emma hopes will be the soundtrack of her nights.

Then there was the feel of Regina scooting close against her and wrapping her arms around her waists. Dark silky curls fell against her shoulder as another kiss was shared before she succumbed to sleep. Emma spent her time watching until she eventually gave into sleep. She fought it. She wanted to spend as long as possible simply seeing Regina in this happy and peaceful state. Emma couldn't help but smile at the adorable and beautiful woman in her arms.

She didn't want to fall asleep. She feared that in the morning she would lose it all and so tried to stay awake and with Regina as long as possible.

Now in the morning after Emma knows she must face the moment of truth. She slowly blinks her eyes open to see Regina propping her head up on hand and watching her. "Hey," Emma mumbles sleepily hoping that this is the moment she and Regina start something wonderful. Last night was incredible and for Emma it wasn't just about succumbing to lust but also expressing her love. Now she hopes Regina feels the same.

Regina smiles at her, "Good morning. Can I tell you what I wanted to now?"

Emma nods, her hopes and heart buoyed by that beaming grin. Regina gives her a soft and sweet kiss before she looks at Emma. The brunette takes a moment to look into Emma's eyes before she speaks, "I've wanted this for so long and I can't believe we're finally here."

"I love you," Emma admits as the first rays of sunlight begin to dance across the sheets. It's then she hears the words she has dreamed of hearing for many months now but never thought she would hear. "I love you too."

Last night Emma went to that party hoping for something incredible to happen. Her waiting paid off. Now in the morning after, she looks at the woman she was waiting for and knows they'll be many more mornings to come.

_Thanks for reading :) _


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